Secrets of Monart's magic: What does it take to make this spa so special?
Imagine a place perfectly poised between pony-grazed meadows and wonderful woodland, where lavish meets low-key, where no request is too outrageous and the word "no" doesn't exist, and where you can wander all day from restaurant to spa to garden dressed simply in a bathrobe.The place exists, and it's called Monart. It is not a boutique hotel, although it feels intimate. It is not even a hotel in the typical sense, although it has all the hallmarks of a great one. Instead, it defies categories, where life revolves around the spa, the heart of the property. Whether or not you buy into the idea that a day spent in a brands bathrobe is appropriate, there's no doubt that a little white-robed nirvana is good for the soul. Ireland's first destination spa is as idyllic a retreat as you'll find, just 10 minutes from busy Enniscorthy. It's morning as I arrive and the sun is twinkling through swaying trees as it rises over Vinegar Hill. Horses canter in a pad...